Fjölrit RALA - 15.12.2000, Side 7

5
SUMMARY
In 1994, a working group with one member from each of the West Nordic countries
(Greenland, Faroe Islands and Iceland) was founded to collaborate within the field of plant
science. The working group organized the project reported here. The project was supported by
the Nordic Atlantic Cooperation together with the institutes in each respective country.
The aims of the project were:
1) To test different grass species and varieties under West Nordic conditions and to find
to what extent results from one country can be used in another country.
2) ' To stimulate teamwork and to exchange results between scientists, advisers and
teachers in the West-Nordic countries.
3) To test the feasibility of the use of a common calibration data base in NIR (near
infrared reflectance) analysis for these countries. The NIR method is cheaper, faster
and more environmental friendly than traditional analytical methods.
4) To increase knowledge of plant response to temperature (development, growth rate,
yield and nutritional value).
Four experiments were carried out during the years 1995-1998, at Kollafjoröur in the Faroe
Islands, at Korpa, Iceland, and at Upemaviarsuk and Narsarsuaq, Greenland. The experiment
included five different grass varieties: Engmo and Vega (Phleum pratensé), Fylking and
Lavang (Poa pratensis) and Seida (Alopecurus pratensis). These varieties were harvested on
five different harvest dates at two week intervals. A number of chemical analyses were
performed on the samples.
The spring seasons were relatively favorable during the experimental period. Onset of
growth was in April at all locations. The low temperature in Upernaviarsuk delayed the
anthesis of timothy by two weeks compared to the other locations. About the same
temperature sum was needed from heading to anthesis of timothy in Greenland (both
locations) and Iceland, 450 day degrees (day temperature x days). In the Faroe Islands only
350 day degrees were used for the same process.
Phleum pratense yielded much more than the other species at all locations (P.
pratense yielded at the last harvest date 74.2 hkg/ha, P. pratensis 43.2 hkg/ha and A.
pratensis 45.2 hkg/ha). However, A. pratensis grew faster in early spring than the other.
species. Two harvests are therefore recommended for Seida well as for the Poa pratensis
varieties. In 1998 all varieties were harvested twice in Iceland, which resulted in a similar
yield for all varieties.
The average total yield at the last harvest date was similar at all locations (60 hkg/ha)
except in Narsarsuaq, where it was only 45 hkg/ha. This was possibly caused by a failure in
cultivation such as late fertilization of the experimental field or insect infestation.
Results from common variety trials indicate that information obtained on Phleum
pratense in one country can be applied to a certain extent in the other countries. The same
was not the case for Poa pratensis. It also appeared that growing conditions at the test
locations are quite different, especially between Kollafjoröur in the Faroe Islands and
Upemaviarsuk, Greenland. Results between these locations should therefore be exhanged
with care. Best is to carry out individual experiments at each location.
The Poa pratensis varieties contained much less N in the herbage than the other
varieties. They were similarly lower in digestibility at all harvest dates, but the rate of decline
in digestibility was a little slower. The average decline of digestibility during the harvest
period was 0.27 percentage units day' for Seida, 0.24 for the Phleum pratense varieties and